Method of preventing tarnishing of the surfaces of silverware



Patented May 9, 1950 METHOD OF PREVENTING TARNISHING OF THE SURFACES F SILVERWARE James Clayton Moss, New York. N. Y., assignor to Celaneae Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the prevention of the tarnishing of the surfaces of metal articles, and relates more particularly to the prevention of the tarnishing of the surfaces of silverware.

The surfaces of silverware, i. e. silver or silverplated articles, such as dishes, trays, coffee and tea sets, flatware and the like, are readily tarnished by exposure to the atmosphere, with the result that unsightly coatings appear thereon. To prevent the tarnishing of silverware, the pieces are normally covered with a napped, wool or cotton cloth such as flannel, treated or untreated, or placed in bags or sheets made of this material. However, such flannel coverings are not satisfactory since they prevent the tarnishing of the silverware surfaces for only a very short time. It is, accordingly, an important object of this invention to provide a novel method of preventing the tarnishing of silverware surfaces which will be particularly effective over a very long period of time.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an improved fabric covering for silverware which will prevent the tarnishing of the surfaces thereof for a substantially long period of time.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a fabric of relatively close construction and having a basis of an organic derivative ofcellulose which when wrapped around silverware will prevent the tarnishing thereof over a substantially long period of time.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following detailed description.

I have found that the tarnishing of silverware is efiectively prevented over a substantial period of time by covering the same with a textile fabric, preferably of closely woven construction, made of or containing filaments, threads, yarns and the like having a basis of an organic derivative of cellulose.

In accordance with my invention, I cover the silverware with a woven textile or knitted textile fabric made of or containing filaments, threads or yarns having a basis of an organic derivative of cellulose, by wrapping the silverware in a piece of said fabric or by inserting the silverware in bags, envelopes or sheaths made from said fabric. I prefer, however, to employ a fabric of closely woven construction, 1. e. having a satin, taffeta, or sharkskin weave. The silverware covered by such a fabric is tarnish-proof over a substantially long period of time.

Any suitable organic derivative of cellulose may be employed as the basis of the filaments,

Application January 25, 1945, Serial No. 574,640

threads or yarns from which the fabric employed in accordance with this invention is made. For instance, I may employ organic derivatives of cellulose such as organic esters of cellulose, or cellulose ethers. Examples of organic derivatives of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, or cellulose butyrate, while examples of cellulose ethers are ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose. Furthermore, mixed esters, such as cellulose aceto-propionate and cellulose aceto-butyrate may be employed as the basis of the filamentary materials. However, we prefer to employ cellulose acetate filaments, threads or yarns, as cellulose acetate is commercially the most important of the organic derivatives of cellulose employed at the present time.

As a means for illustrating my invention, but without being limited thereto, the following ex- 20 ample is given:

Emample A fabric is woven with a sharkskin weave 42" wide and weighing 5 ounces to the square yard. The warp yarns are 150 denier cellulose acetate yarns placed 116 ends per inch and the filling yarns are 450 denier cellulose acetate yarns placed 44 picks per inch. This fabric may be cut into suitable lengths or sewn into bags, envelopes or sheaths for the purpose of placing silverware therein. Silverware covered with said 39 fabric showed no trace of tarnishing over a threemonth period of time, whereas silverware covered with wool or cotton flannel showed considerable tarnishing after a period of only one month.

The term silverware as employed in the claims is to be construed as including within its scope any metal articles capable of being tarnished by atmospheric conditions. The expression closely woven construction as employed in the claims is to be construed as meaning a satin, taffeta or sharkskin weave.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of preventing tarnishing of the surfaces of silverware, which comprises placing said silverware in a covering shaped to receive said silverware, said covering comprising a fabric of closely woven construction containing filamentary materials having a basis of a lower aliphatic acid ester of cellulose.

2. A method of preventing tarnishing of the surfaces or silverware, which comprises placing UNITED STATES PATENTS said silverware in a covering shaped to receive Number Nam said silverware, said c ver p isin a fabric 7 Hen-mg $1933 of closely woven construction containin 312354 m Feb 4' 5 mentary materials having a basis of cellulose 5 acetate. OTHER REFERENCES JAMES CLAYTON Moss- Fall and Winter Catalog or the Montgomery- Ward Co. for the Period 1941-1942. Copy identi- REFERENCES CITED fled as VOL The following references are of record in the flle of this patent: 

1. A METHOD OF PREVENTING TARNISHING OF THE SURFACES OF SILVERWARE, WHICH COMPRISES PLACING SAID SILVERWARD IN A COVERING SHAPED TO RECEIVE SAID SILVERWARD, SAID COVERING COMPRISING A FABRIC OF CLOSELY WOVEN CONSTRUCTION CONTAINING FILAMENTARY MATERIALS HAVING A BASIS OF A LOWER ALIPHATIC ACID ESTER OF CELLULOSE. 